A former Minister of Health and member of the Ime-obi (inner caucus) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. ABC Nwosu, on Friday, faulted the claim by a former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, that the leader of the defunct Biafra, the late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, underestimated him by thinking that he (Gowon) would never go to war.
Gowon, who led Nigeria during the Nigerian Civil war, which took place between 1967 to 1970, spoke at the Diamond Jubilee Lecture of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.
According to the former Head of State, Ojukwu, who was the then Premier of the Eastern Region, had thought his (Gowon’s) ‘born-again’ Christian disposition would allow the region to secede from Nigeria without consequences.
“During the crisis, my colleague and brother, Emeka Ojukwu, said, ‘We know Gen. Gowon, he is a Christian and he would not like to fight. Do you know the first thing he put in his suitcase? His Bible; and that will make him not to engage in a fight’. I think, unfortunately, he was proved wrong,” Gowon had said.
But, reacting to Gowon’s statement, Nwosu described the former military head of state’s comments as “ungentlemanly”, and anti-Igbo.
Describing Gowon’s comments as appalling and naive, Nwosu said it was an attempt to demonise Ojukwu after his death.
The former minister noted that Gowon underestimated Ojukwu’s capacity to resist the federal troops for a long period of time.
He pointed out that Gowon’s comments did not correspond with the accounts of other major actors in the events that precipitated the Civil War.
Nwosu said, “I wish to express my growing concern over attempts to demonise Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who died more than three years ago.
“These posthumous comments on Ojukwu are at best ungentlemanly and anti-Igbo. Ndigbo don’t speak of the dead flippantly.
“The latest comment by General Yakubu Gowon, which was published on May 15, 2015 – this statement that Ojukwu never imagined that he would go to war because he was a born-again Christian is appalling  and naive.
“Did the General not also underestimate Ojukwu and Biafra? The book by General Alabi-Isama tells a different story.”
Nwosu added that Gowon’s opinion on the Aburi Accord was also contrary to the views of Ndigbo and Ojukwu on the same subject.
“Ndigbo worldwide share this my concern because earlier, General Gowon has given his opinion on the Aburi Accord, which differs completely with the opinion of Ndigbo and Ojukwu on the same Aburi Accord.
“There are always two sides to a story and fairness demands that the two sides should always be weighed side by side,” he said.
Nwosu advised Gowon and others, who played key roles during the period, to let the sleeping dog lie by avoiding comments on the Civil War.
He stressed that Igbos still had bad memories from the period, which he described as an era of massacres, pogroms and civil war.
 http://www.punchng.com/news/civil-war-ex-minister-nwosu-faults-gowons-comments-on-ojukwu/

We shall see how Gowon will be honoured once he dies.


Born Again Christian who feels good over the death of his fellow Christians.



Truly Biafra must have being a nightmare for Gowon to still linger on it

Gowon is a cow. That's why fulanis are having a field day decimating his people in plateau

Why is this man tribalizing Gowon's speech? I see nothing anti-igbo in that account.
When has the mention of ojukwu in any statement become anti-igbo?

Talking about old wounds, what is their purpose of establishing radio biafra? I guess it's for national unity and reconciliation.

meforyou1:
Gowon is a cow. That's why fulanis are having a field day decimating his people in plateau

Do you think ibos are better-off living in a united Nigeria, or in a "Biafra", even if it was created as a strictly ibo nation or by forcefully massing other unwilling ND/SS ethnic nationalities?

cleatoris:

Do you think ibos are better-off living in a united Nigeria, or in a "Biafra", even if it was created as a strictly ibo nation or by forcefully massing other unwilling ND/SS ethnic nationalities?

the 5 southern eastern states will form the nation.

cleatoris:
Why is this man tribalizing Gowon's speech? I see nothing anti-igbo in that account.
When has the mention of ojukwu in any statement become anti-igbo?

Talking about old wounds, what is their purpose of establishing radio biafra? I guess it's for national unity and reconciliation.

and what's the essence of establishing radio kudirat and the recent APC radio

Pastor Gowon, if not for ur British and other masters, maybe u wouldn't even be alive today. Ojukwu was prepared and willing to defeat u not just to fight, thank Russia n Britain man.

Well Gen Gowon shouldn't have made that comment but I don't see how it is anti-Igbo

meforyou1:
the 5 southern eastern states will form the nation.

Your brethren will disagree.

Yet, are the igbos better-off living in a united Nigeria than in their biafra?

These old folks should watch their ill comments, they shouldn't ruin the country because they are close to ther graves

fûck!!! Never heard Igbos so mentioned in my entire life. What is wrong with Nigeria?

Hausa/fulani moslems will keep on raping his wife, childrens, mothers, kill his elders, men, youths, and boys in plateau for leading same moslems against fellow christians in the zoo. God bless Biafra

Dejohnbull:
Hausa/fulani moslems will keep on raping his wife, childrens, mothers, kill his elders, men, youths, and boys in plateau for leading same moslems against fellow christians in the zoo. God bless Biafra

Gowon had no choice. His people, who are the christian minority in the north, would'av been totally wiped out by now if the exit of igbos had led to the disintegration of Nigeria in line with the structural make-up of the nation at that time.

Gowon was a coward who killed innocent women and children to defend his course, he couldn't even fight without help from Western allies. He his no better than shekau.

I know Gowon to be a responsible man, but he may be suffering from old age this time.

Gowon my foot

Any time gowon is given a mic the only thing he will narrate is Nigerian civil war even in church of all places.
That is because all his life he have achieved nothing than the devilish role he played in that war.without the civil war,gowon is nothing the reason he seems to remind everyone at any given opportunity to remain relevant.

cleatoris:
Why is this man tribalizing Gowon's speech? I see nothing anti-igbo in that account.
When has the mention of ojukwu in any statement become anti-igbo?

Talking about old wounds, what is their purpose of establishing radio biafra? I guess it's for national unity and reconciliation.

You see nothing anti igbo because you are not an Igboman. If na you wear the shoe, you for know were the shoe dey pinch.

cleatoris:

Gowon had no choice. His people, who are the christian minority in the north, would'av been totally wiped out by now if the exit of igbos had led to the disintegration of Nigeria in line with the structural make-up of the nation at that time.

good thinking.
but gowon does not know this.
gowon was manipulated into the biafran war!
it is a pity the fool still does not realize this.

cleatoris:

Your brethren will disagree.

Yet, are the igbos better-off living in a united Nigeria than in their biafra?

there is nothing good from the unity of this slave trader natiion.

SOUNDKING:
there is nothing good from the unity of this slave trader natiion.

Who are the slaves, and who is trading on them?

If you are one on the slaves, how much was your price? I can repay the money times two to your oppressive slave master to set you free... Even if you were born that way.

Gowon sounds moronic each time he ventures into the nuance of Nigeria/Biafra war. It seems to him that hell would have frozen if eastern region was allowed to cede. The situation in today’s Nigeria compels one to ask what has become good of One-Nigeria. Since 1966, Nigeria has continued to slide down the lane of perpetual regression.

ABC Nwosu can't stand the truth. He and the ex-Head of State, Gowon, who should be in command of the truth than the other?

The mere mention of what led to the civil war or talking about it is like a sore wound to the ibos but that is the wages of ojukwu's inordinate ambitions and ibo bigotry, whereby they staged a coup and killed political leaders of other regions and left theirs intact. Did they think that the rest of Nigeria will not notice the bigotry?

eneidoko:
ABC Nwosu can't stand the truth. He and the ex-Head of State, Gowon, who should be in command of the truth than the other?

The mere mention of what led to the civil war or talking about it is like a sore wound to the ibos but that is the wages of ojukwu's inordinate ambitions and ibo bigotry, whereby they staged a coup and killed political leaders of other regions and left theirs intact. Did they think that the rest of Nigeria will not notice the bigotry?

No mind dem.

cleatoris:

Who are the slaves, and who is trading on them?

If you are one on the slaves, how much was your price? I can repay the money times two to your oppressive slave master to set you free... Even if you were born that way.

you are the slave,if you are not you will support the seperation of this zoo.

Gowon is a war criminal and should be sent to icc if not for the support he enjoyed from his slave master the British,but God have prepared his icc court and he will soon start serving his eternal jail term in hell with his master the devil and his co murderers like obj,the British,Egyptian,Russians and other west Africans that supported him,born again in hell Mr gowon.

PedroJP:
Pastor Gowon, if not for ur British and other masters, maybe u wouldn't even be alive today. Ojukwu was prepared and willing to defeat u not just to fight, thank Russia n Britain man.

What is dis one saying
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War
Click on here to get more educated abt d war

Why are all these statements about ojukwu and BIAFRA Coming suspisiously AFTEr the death, passing and !burial of ojukwu why. Its either in life ojukwu was greatly feared and respaected or all the d Generals from the orderside are fear fear and Cowards pls I don't know why only a servant waits till his master leaves the house before talking bad of him for more than 40 years ojukwu was alive and strong and also ready to answer any question or comments but no body made any, only for the Peoples True General Chukuemeka Dim Odemegu Ojukwu to answer the last order from the Heavenly Lord to rest in forever Peace and now some people have the MOUTH to describe in ways they could not do when he was alive, even my 38 years old son would never do that cos I trained him NEVER to say what at your back he cannot say.......just my thougths only

Why are all these statements about Ojukwu and BIAFRA Coming suspisiously AFTER the death, passing and burial of Ojukwu why. Its either in life ojukwu was greatly feared and respaected or all the d Generals from the orderside are fear fear and Cowards pls I don't know why only a servant waits till his master leaves the house before talking bad of him for more than 40 years ojukwu was alive and strong and also ready to answer any question or comments but no body made any, only for the Peoples True General Chukuemeka Dim Odemegu Ojukwu to answer the last order from the Heavenly Lord to rest in forever Peace and now some people have the MOUTH to describe in ways they could not do when he was alive, even my 38 years old son would never do that cos I trained him NEVER to say what at your back he cannot say.......just my thougths only

Is Gowon trying to reopen old wounds?

chernest2002:
Gowon is a war criminal and should be sent to icc if not for the support he enjoyed from his slave master the British,but God have prepared his icc court and he will soon start serving his eternal jail term in hell with his master the devil and his co murderers like obj,the British,Egyptian,Russians and other west Africans that supported him,born again in hell Mr gowon.

Both sides were guilty of war crimes. What Gowon was saying was that Ojukwu underestimated him by going ahead into that war.
The war was best not fought with such low level of preparedness from Ojukwu.
I particularly would like to have a country that does not include particular ethnic groups...but. Nigeria cannot break easily, and wars are not won by luck, guesswork nor by default.